Intense Winds Leave Tens of Thousands In the Dark in New Zealand
Intense gusts hitting speeds of as high as 155km/h (96mph) have resulted in around 90,000 properties without power and led officials to cancel more than 100 air travel services, as reported by regional news sources.
The gales are affecting the entire South Island and southern parts of the North Island, per the national weather agency.
New Zealand authorities have released infrequent severe gust advisories - the most severe warning - in central regions encompassing Wellington and Canterbury.
Locals have been advised to stay indoors, avoid travel, and make arrangements for additional power and communication outages.
Extensive Destruction and Crisis Response
The electricity loss appears to be affecting residences predominantly in the South Island, while agencies report that the electricity supply was being slowly brought back.
Regional news have indicated that in various locations structures have suffered roof damage, while trees and electricity poles have been knocked down by the gales.
Within the capital, a individual was killed after being hit by a tree branch at a frequent walking route on Tuesday.
Meanwhile in Wellington, a female was pushed toward oncoming traffic on a road by a strong gust of wind, in a event that was recorded in a viral dashcam video.
Air travel in and out of the urban area have been cancelled as a result of the gusts, and various routes and public facilities are not operating.
At the same time authorities in Canterbury have declared a emergency situation, to support emergency management operations.
Work Stoppages During Extreme Conditions
The wild winds on this day come as numerous of school staff, physicians and civil servants are engaged in what has been termed a "mega strike", calling for better pay and working conditions.
Yet the intense climate has pressured them to modify certain arrangements, with some outdoor rallies moved indoors or abandoned.
Similar gusts are affecting Australia, causing a high-temperature event to the nation's interior regions.
Agencies have declared burning restrictions for concern about wildfires.
